Well, May’s definitely been an interesting month. We had August-like heat, we had sub-freezing colds, we had rain that would have had Noah starting a new Ark, and we had some really awesome music. I admittedly did not get out as many times as I wanted to due to some unexpected health issues, but I’m on the mend and really looking forward to the awesome month that June is shaping up to be. On that note…just a reminder to pay attention when your body’s telling you that something ain’t right, and pay even more attention to the awesome significant other in your life when he or she tells/forces you to see the doctor. Ok, enough on that…let’s talk about some music, shall we?
My first trip out was a nice short drive to the Dillsburg Legion for the third annual Vertical 4 Life festival. I love everything about this event, dreamed up & organized by my buddy Brad Weatherby. A great selection of local artists coming together to help raise money & awareness to help prevent veteran suicide. I’d first like to say this was my first time to the Dillsburg Legion, and it’s really got to be one of the nicest Legion’s I’ve had the pleasure of being in. They’ve got a nice setup in there for seeing live music, good selection of drinks and a tasty menu. Haley Nelson Live opened up with solo acoustic set, a young musician (second year playing V4L if I recall?) playing a sweet and soulful mix of tunes. Coming out next was Rachel & Slade as the Ragged Grace duo, a group that I’ve been wanting to catch for a while. Ragged Grace’s page says they play music “you love to hear, music you may have forgotten about & some you’ve never heard before” and that absolutely proved to be the case with the nice mix of originals and covers they played. Next up was solo acoustic maestro Marshall Stone (recent CPMA winner by the way!) playing a wide variety of tunes like Hakuna Matata, People Are Strange, Paint It Black and more. Following Marshall, a new local band called Backwood Ruckus hit the stage. A four piece band blasting out classic rock covers, these guys really got the Legion rocking! I’m looking forward to catching these guys again in the future for sure. Next up was something that I’ve heard clips of and such, but definitely not a music style in my typical wheelhouse: Ryan Tully came out with a mix of beatboxing and singing that had an interesting sound and was really entertaining. This was also his first time performing in front of a crowd, and he did a great job. Performing next was AJ Cassatt playing a chill set of solo acoustic covers and really well written originals. Rounding out the evening was an energetic set from my friends in Honeypump, a group that turns any room in to a party with great covers of bands like Rush, Led Zeppelin, Stone Temple Pilots, and many more. I love that they cover deeper dig songs from these bands that you don’t normally hear from cover bands. Overall, it was yet another great day of music for a great cause.
The following weekend, I headed up to the always awesome Shermans Creek Inn. I might have said it before, or maybe not…but if you come here and don’t have a good time, you’re doing it wrong. I was invited up by my buddy Jack to see his new band that was opening up the night: Hath No Fury. Talking to them before the show, there was a lot of “first show nerves” that were totally understandable…but they disappeared instantly (at least from my point of view) soon as the first note dropped. Bringing hard rock and metal covers, they did an awesome job of ripping up the stage with songs like Born To Kill, Cold Hard Bitch, Slither, and a bunch more. They were a ton of fun to watch and work with, and definitely get added to the highly recommended list. Headlining the evening was the guys in Gun Metal Grey who always bring it hard from beginning to end with songs like Bulls On Parade, Round And Round, Holy Diver and more. It’s always great seeing these guys perform.
My last day out for the month was pretty much a full day…but it was a good one. I first met up with Brandon Valentine and crew in Hershey at the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall Of Fame to provide photo coverage of Lzzy Hale and the guys from Halestorm while Lzzy signed a guitar to be hung up on site. Meeting Lzzy and crew was a very cool experience and they were all very down to earth and friendly…but it really struck me when Lzzy saw my shirt and said she wouldn’t be where she is if it hadn’t been for the early support of her music by Pennsylvania Musician (and all of it’s readers). While I wasn’t yet a member of the team back then, I admit it brought a great feeling of pride being a small part of this magazine. That evening I arrived in Grantville at Hollywood Casino’s PENN Heroes stage for what promised to be a great night of rock & roll. Kicking off the night with style was our very own Small Town Titans. I’ve caught the guys on stage a few times now, but this was the biggest show of theirs for me to date, and the guys totally rocked it! I heard a number of folks that were there for the headliner say they somehow hadn’t heard of Small Town Titans, but their set turned them in to instant fans with their energetic rock that ended with the always awesome “I Am The Man.” Hinder came out next with a great set playing some of their classics like Lips Of An Angel and Get Stoned as well as a new song or two, and even a Collective Soul cover. Of course, with beautiful timing, Mother Nature showered the crowd with a light rain just as Lips Of An Angel started up which was pretty cool. Then it was time for the much anticipated headliner for the evening to take the stage, originally from Red Lion: Halestorm. I’ve listened to their stuff over the years, much like any fan of rock music, but had never really dug deep in to their catalog for no real reason. I will say that after seeing them play live, it’d be hard not to be a fan. They put on an absolutely electric performance for a crowd that was all about it…dancing, singing along and just having a great time. Songs like I Miss The Misery, Like A Woman Can, I Am The Fire and more including a few awesome covers just continued to set the stage on fire for the entire performance. Lzzy is utterly fierce on stage with a commanding presence and a continuously beautiful connection with her crowd.
Next month I’ve got two festivals back to back that are a blast every year: Rock On The Hill and Waynestock. With a few other shows that I’m planning/hoping to check out, it looks to be a beautiful month of music. I hope I see you out there!
So there it is, my month of music through my eyes and ears. I want to once again thank all the bands, venues, and everyone else involved in our incredible local music scene for everything they do. Just a reminder: if you’ve got a show coming up that I should see; make sure to send me an invite, shoot me an email or a message, let me know about it. Venues: please don’t hesitate to reach out to me as well. The majority of the shows that I go and shoot I find out about through invites from all of you or your friends. Hit me up on facebook: @chrisriderphotography or email: chrisriderphotography@gmail.com, stop me if you see me out & around and say hi. Until next month…go find some live music and give them and the venue your support, they truly need it more now than they ever did.
